New Ukiah logo gets mixed reviews

The results of about two months of investigation into the "essence" of Ukiah were revealed Thursday in the form of a new logo and slogan aimed at attracting visitors to the city and its surrounding valley.

"No doubt there's going to be a lot of discussion about this positioning," said John Arend, president of Z Group Communications of Walnut Creek, a firm that was paid $21,000 of the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) to create a marketing campaign for the city that includes the new logo as well as a website and brochure. "But that's what we want -- people talking about Ukiah."

After explaining that his firm interviewed more than 100 "well-connected" residents of the city and valley and also contacted numerous past and potential visitors, Arend said his staff gained a sense of Ukiah as an "independent, natural, creative and active" place that is an "escape."

"You guys are edgy -- you're cool," he said, explaining that the suggested slogan of: "Ukiah: Far out. Nearby" didn't just mean that Ukiah was far enough from cities such as San Francisco to feel "laid-back, unpretentious and quiet," but also that it "embraces an independent spirit in a fun way, is an unexpected surprise," and that far out "evokes an image of fun and intrigue."

Arend also presented an updated version of the Visit Ukiah logo, which now features orange letters on a green background wrapped in grape vines. Arend said since "Ukiah is a unique word, we wanted (the font) to be more legible," adding that the green and orange colors were kept, but the grape vines removed.

"We didn't want to be boxed in by the wine," he said, adding that orange color was kept because orange "radiates warmth and happiness" and is "extroverted and uninhibited," and "it is used by Harley-Davidson," a brand also associated with independence.

Some of the crowd gathered at the Ukiah Valley Conference Center to see the new logo seemed to like it, but others fell the phrase "far out" referenced drug use and the "stoner" culture.

"You're right, it could be taken that way, for sure," Arend said. "Our position is, we're not making a direct correlation to pot. Just because Cheech and Chong said it," doesn't mean it only refers to drugs.

Sherrie Smith-Ferri, director of the Grace Hudson Museum, which Arend recommended highlighting even more than it already is as a city attraction, said she liked the slogan.

"It's quirky, and we're quirky," said Smith-Ferri, adding that there are a lot of things about Ukiah visitors would enjoy exploring if they were properly directed to them.

Others in the audience said the city's Haiku Festival wasn't mentioned, and perhaps enough wasn't made of its "300 days of sunshine."

Shannon Riley, Ukiah's Project and Program Analyst, said the Visit Ukiah Task Force and Z Group wanted to "hear all your stories and suggestions," inviting people to come to the visitor's center at the conference center (at 200 S. School Street) and add them to the list.

"We have so much more work to do -- this is just the foundation," said Riley, explaining Friday that she was very excited about the campaign and felt the response from the group last night was "positive and enthusiastic."

However, before the slogan and logo are adopted, Riley said the task force would need to meet and vote on it. She said the group is scheduled to meet next after Thanksgiving.

The logo was shared on the Ukiah Daily Journal's Facebook page to mixed and mostly negative reviews. Although some people liked the design of the logo, most who commented did not care for the slogan.

Arend said his staff was still working on a "brand style guide, a comprehensive visitor website and a visitors guide," adding that he hoped all would be completed by the end of the year.

Editor's note: For more on what people said were the good parts about Ukiah, and what the city needed to work on, see our story in Sunday's edition.

Check our Ukiah Daily Journal Facebook page to see the new proposed logo.

Justine Frederiksen can be reached at udjjf@pacific.net, on Twitter @JustFrederiksen or at 468-3521.